Although rainy weather forced postponement of last weekend's season-opening race in Asheboro , the extended forecast calls for much better weather this Saturday as the NWSMT prepares to kick off the season at Concord Speedway for the first time in the history of the series with the Capital Bank 150.

One driver who is particularly excited to be visiting Concord Speedway is Tour veteran Burt Myers. Myers, who has competed on the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour since its inception in 2005, says the uniquely-shaped track will be a lot of fun to race on and fans should see a good race this Saturday.

“The last time I raced at Concord I won there and I am ready to go back,” said Myers. “Capital Bank came on board as a sponsor for me last season and they wanted to get more involved this year so they have stepped up to sponsor this race and I want to get them a win this weekend.”

Myers is a five-time winner on the Tour and holds the all-time record for Coors Light Pole Awards with 17. Myers won last season at Southern National Raceway Park and the veteran is excited about his chances to contend for his first Tour title.

Myers has finished in the top 10 a total of 37 times and hopes to get his 2009 started in the right direction with a win this weekend.

“ Concord is a track that can be very good for us if we make our car handle well,” said Myers. “You can actually go through the dog-leg full throttle and you can find yourself holding your breath during that,” said Myers. “The new tire we are using on the right side is going to make a difference this weekend.”

The Capital Bank 150 will start at 7:30 p.m. this Saturday night and Myers feels there as many as 10 to 15 drivers who could wind up in Victory Lane this weekend.

“I have grown up around Modifieds my entire life and I am always going to be a Modified driver and to see the level of competition grow in this series has been noticeable,” said Myers. “You are going to have to be on top of your game every lap this weekend to have a chance to get the win.”

Practice for the Capital Bank 150 will begin at 1 p.m. with a second practice scheduled for 2:45 p.m. Qualifying will begin at 5:30 p.m. with fans encouraged to get to the track early for a driver autograph session at 7 p.m.

The green flag is set to fly at 7:30 p.m. For more information on the race, please contact Concord Speedway at (704) 782-4221.

George Brunnhoelzl III, a third generation driver from West Babylon , N.Y. , now races out of his family-owned shop in North Carolina . Brunnhoelzl scored his first career NWSMT win last year at Lanier and is ready to get his second win this year.

What has been your biggest accomplishment in racing? This one is easy—it was my win last year at Lanier. Everything just went perfect for us that day. It was a special day having my dad and family there with me.

What is your favorite type of music? I like just about all types of hip-hop.

You will join your fellow competitors at Bristol this year as the NASCAR Whelen Modified and NASCAR Whelen Southern Modifieds will race there for the first time. What kind of race do you expect? I have been fortunate enough to have raced there already and I can't wait to get these high-powered Whelen Modifieds on the track in August. It looked like a lot of fun at the recent practice they held and racing there is going to be really fun.

What is the most recent movie you have seen? Role Models….it was pretty funny.

Do you have a favorite track on the 2009 schedule? Obviously I look forward to returning to Lanier since we won there, but there are several tracks that I enjoy racing. Martinsville is special and I look forward to returning to Concord this weekend. We have always ran well there.

Do you have a favorite type of food? This one is easy. Just about anything Italian, I like it all.

Where do you see yourself in five years? I n all honesty, as long as I have been racing, I really don't know what I will be doing in five years. I just hope I can still race and be competitive. But most importantly, I want to be able to have fun no matter what I am driving or doing.

How much fun is it having your dad as your crew chief? It's great having dad around with our team. He has a lot of knowledge and it always helps us at the track and at the shop. He wants to win just as bad as I do and its always special to win together.

What advice would you give to a young racer getting started today? I would tell them to give no less than 100% and always work hard to keep getting better. Also, don't overextend yourself. Race within your means financially.

Any big plans for 2009? Yes, my fiancée Heather and I are getting married in November.

Concord Starting Something New

Not only is Concord Speedway kicking off the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour schedule this weekend, the track will also get its weekly NASCAR Whelen All-American Series program underway. The season was initially set to start last week, but was rained out. Concord will run each of its NASCAR Whelen All-American Series divisions except its feature division.

The track, which has earned the nickname the "World's Fastest Half-Mile TriOval,” will have a new feature division this year in the form of the Hutch/BSR Pro Late Models. The division, which is primarily straight-rail cars with a crate engine, will have its opener next weekend with a 150-lap event.

“We're looking to offer something that nobody else is offering as a feature division,” said Concord Speedway spokesman Larry Thomas.